The mission of Miner Institute continues the vision set forth by William H. Miner when he built Heart’s Delight Farm in 1903. Certainly, our core mission is expressed in the above quote, originally published in the 1915 Farm Book. Miner Institute has been guided by Mr. Miner’s vision in our research activities, as well as in our educational offerings. The primary objectives of the research program continue to be: relevance, cutting edge, direct applicability.
Although the research conducted at Miner Institute is wide in scope, these major objectives have been followed. Whether in the area of corn hybrid digestibility, stallion semen freezability, calf growth, transition cow performance, or manure management, all have been relevant and directly applicable to today’s agriculture. Miner Institute’s expertise in the area of crop-animal interface, along with our strong base built on communication between agronomist and nutritionist, allows us to better serve dairy farmers. The crop-animal interface is also seen as the key to sustainability of the dairy industry due to its impact on environmental concerns about excess nitrogen and phosphorus.
The Miner Institute Laboratory Complex plays an integral role in supporting and directing the research activities. The forage laboratory is active in improving the understanding of forage quality and the means of producing quality forages in the Northeast to benefit dairy animal health and production. The environmental laboratory focuses on evaluating the environmental impact of dairy management practices. These activities include maintaining, monitoring, and modeling various ecological systems through the use of Miner Institute’s silage effluent leachate collection systems and screening of the tile-drained fields. Through collaboration between the forage and environmental laboratories, research is being conducted that will enhance stewardship practices.
One focus of the dairy research activities has been in the area of dairy cattle nutrition with an emphasis on the transition cow. Animal behavior and cow comfort are other focal points of research. The development of a network of collaborative commercial dairy farms has enabled Miner Institute to create a unique niche in the world of dairy nutrition research. Controlled research can be conducted on these large dairies (350-1,000 milking cows). Intensive studies requiring individual intakes, cannulated cows, or multiple treatments are conducted in the newly constructed 16-cow tie stall barn built as part of the Miner Institute Dairy Complex.
The operation of a demonstration farm, which serves as both a "storyteller" and research facility, is important to Miner Institute. The storyteller farm allows Miner Institute to relate to farmers as we discuss our trials and tribulations in our monthly publication, the Farm Report. A level of respect has been obtained within the agricultural community through the quality of forages being produced on the farm and the level of animal productivity here. Therefore, Miner Institute only conducts animal trials that will not compromise the productivity of the herd. This has allowed Miner Institute to remain relevant in agriculture and continue the demonstration farm first established by Mr. Miner in 1903.
Miner Institute staff actively publishes articles in refereed journals, including Animal Feed Science and Technology, Journal of Dairy Science, and Journal of Animal Science, as well as presents research findings annually at the national meetings of the American Dairy Science Association and American Society of Animal Science.
